Bradford Bulls will be a Super League club again as soon as Thursday – after the latest IMG gradings saw them elevated into the top 12 of the system.
Love Rugby League has been told, as first reported by All Out Rugby League, that the Bulls have comfortably made the cut and will be given immediate and automatic access into the competition after over a decade out.
During that time, they have been liquidated and had to restart at the bottom of the professional pyramid – but Bradford have now built sufficiently over the last few years to guarantee their place at the top table once again.
Crucially, being in the top 12 means they are given full Super League-level funding for 2026 – meaning they do not have to rely on funding their return to the competition on their own.
They have been ranked higher than Salford Red Devils – but also Huddersfield Giants and Castleford Tigers too, Love Rugby League understands.
That leaves York Knights, Toulouse and London Broncos jostling for two spaces in the competition if it expands to 14 next year. Salford have not made the top 12 in the gradings, meaning their time as a Super League club is over as they did not apply to be part of the expansion process.
But for Bradford, they can now look forward to welcoming the game’s biggest clubs to Odsal Stadium again in 2026.
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